Painlessly Prologue & Chapter one
by Carmen Vega
Summary: Vanessa thought she'd run from them, she thought she could just forget and start again, but why did Loki have to constantly keep at her and Gaia? It wasn't as if Tom Moore's brother could be falling for her, right?   Not when she's in love with...-gasp-


**Painlessly? **

**Chapter One: Prologue**

It was beautiful outside. The snow had turned into a breath-taking expanse of white everywhere I turned. The trees had turned silver and the birds never seemed more alive than now. The sky was crystal clear so every single star could be seen twinkling and the full moon could not gain any words to describe its whole perfection. Now, staring up, I was calm, peaceful and delighted at the prospect of another month of being surrounded by such beauty. How could anyone hate this?

**P.O.V Switch**

Vancouver, Canada, had never before experienced such a mass increase in snowfall. Whilst the cities and heavily built towns suffered unavailability of their cars or mopeds or buses and trains, the simple villages in the countryside rejoiced the arrival of this annual wonder. Many people have been known to vacate their crowded apartments to spend a few days in this; it was all they could stand. Vanessa could not believe her luck when she was offered the place to stay as well as the perfect little cottage in the outskirts of the forest surrounded village. It wasn't so basic in population, a few 100 lived here. Those few 100 knew the small world they lived in, and every one of them would not swap their hard-worked, labouring jobs in the country to the city.

Bless if they ever thought about it.

Vanessa Court lived in something as close to Narnia as it could be this morning. When she had pulled open the curtains the sight had amused her incredibly. The thought of even wading through all that snow made her laugh yet she could not wait to try. The trees were all tinged silver and the leaves had frozen to an icy green on their branches. Her frosted window faced the mountain side of the country and the contrast between the white horizon touching the fiery reds and gold of the sunrise was mesmerizing. The mountains seemed to be tickled too as little glaciers and rocks thundered down, melting.

A shiver rippled down Vanessa's back and she fought hard not to cringe. Though it was a beautiful set, it was hard not to admit that it was brutally cold too.

Shivering, she showered, dressed and took her time to eat breakfast with the T.V blaring more scenes of discomfort in the cities due to the snowfall and it was incredibly amusing to watch the people slip and slide all over the place or kick their car tyres in a temper. Vanessa constantly struggled to keep every spoonful of cereal in her mouth and not spill it all over the kitchen surface.

**P.O.V Switch & Time Lapse **

Sipping my bottle of mineral water, my eyes drew away from the stunning sunset on the other side of the windows and scanned the territory.

Something felt displaced in my room. Could it be the laptop lying smashed, awkwardly spilling out a majority of its wires on my bed or the lamp shattered nearby? The contents of my house had been thrown everywhere- plates and glasses lay shattered in bits all over the floor. The curtains had been torn out of their places and the sofas lay upturned and ripped through. The TV had fallen over and cracked, the vase behind it had shattered over it and that was nothing compared to the chaos I'd found in my room.

Whoever had been here, however many people, didn't seem to be able to find what they were looking for. Amidst the feathers spilling out from the large gashes inflicted upon the bed- drawers had been thrown out of their places and cupboards lay bare with the contents spilt out over the majority of the area. I couldn't understand the reason for this... someone had been desperate enough to tear wallpaper off the _ceiling_ in their attempt to locate a hidden attic... or of sort. Daggers had been jammed into the edges of floorboards to turn them up and their holds remained cracked now. The windows had been shattered, perhaps using the once whole vase that lay in pieces within the glass shards.

It may have been the main entrance to my house.

I couldn't go further in. Staring the chaos created a very real barrier between me and my beautiful house and I struggled to keep my emotions in check. I'd fought harder battles before... Have I not Loki?

Silently, I picked up the framed black and white photo, cracked on its fall, and brushed away the condensation covering the glass. No matter, this was all I would ever need.

The door creaked on its broken hinges as the wind blew in. I wouldn't look back. I'd lost nothing yet.

P.O.V Switch

Loki watched her leave with furious admiration. She had been shocked but that was all the emotion he had found on Vanessa's calm, beautiful face. He could see it all, replayed, in his mind again. She'd entered her home casually. Her eyes darted everywhere, analysing her once perfected home, and she'd simply walked out without a second glance back. All she returned for was the picture of Katia. No secret doors, no upturning of hidden floorboards and safes or locks... nothing. Just a stupid, pointless, broken, black and white photo...

What made him admire her was the way she'd looked through him, her stunning blue-green eyes glaring through the sunset, looking almost amber as she seemed to stare right at him. He was certain she couldn't see him through the shrubs and trees but a cold shiver still rippled down his back. It left him breathless as he stared right back; and he traced the curve of her lips with his eyes and the way her back arched. Sick with nostalgia, he stared, blinked and almost cried out in frustration.

_What was she looking at? God, I hope she does see me_

The moment lasted too long and she only turned away when he began to wonder if he was truly camouflaged enough. As soon as she'd turned her back on him, he let out a breath he didn't realise he'd been holding.

Sighing far too heavily to be a sign of contempt, Loki turned and fell on his back- throwing the set of binoculars away from him. He heard it smash on the concrete somewhere in the distance though it brought no relief. He had tried almost everything to try and find a weakness in her life, herself or her bubble... but nothing! Every crazed attempt that would've definitely brought a reward bore no fruit. Every plan went down the drain silently. He realized now, that there could be another possibility in this that he had never given a second thought on. Oh, how naive had he become?

Loki stood up, adjusting his coat and clicked a cramp out of his neck. His eyes narrowed as they followed a dark figure skippering swiftly along the bank of the Eastern River, no doubt to be her, and he let out a long, deep, ragged growl as he watched the figure jump over ditches fearlessly.

What if she had no weakness?

I had to go. I had to run. I couldn't stay there any longer because I knew Loki was growing restless. First, he had taken his time – whatever his plans were, they didn't coincide as numerously as this. They used to be well thought through, coded puzzles that I somehow admired, but now...

It was like... he was desperate for something.

I don't know what he was trying to gain out of ruining my house, burning my car, attempting to break into my accounts, taking my laptop or... the list seems endless! But this is surely enough of a sign for me to get out and away from here. I could almost sense his eyes on me right now and it's not pleasant.

To be honest, I seem to have had that feeling for a while now and me, myself, I do not like it one bit.

Who wouldn't?

Gaia... Should I tell her I'm moving? No... That isn't fair on her. Loki would start getting at her for being anywhere nearly related to my existence. Well, somehow more than he already does anyway. Lately, it's more like 'Kill Gaia' missions for him.

And he hasn't even tried to touch me yet. I shuddered at the prospect of why.

The action seemed to alarm the old woman stood beside me at the bus stop.

But leaving would mean abandoning Gaia... not being able to help her anymore. What if one of Loki's missions did work? What if she gets hurt...? It would be my fault wouldn't it? I should've been there, to warn her...

Oh God...

Climbing into the back of a coach, heading for the airport, I considered a few reasons as to why Loki hadn't tried to kill me yet. I'd done the same before but each time brought an extra out-of-this-world response. It killed time usually. Though, as soon as the question popped into my head, one direct reply answered it.

"Hello beautiful, late air?" The driver mused cheerfully, putting away the fare in his collection box.

"Hmm..." I shrugged, smiled and strode further into the coach. I had every mind to just jump off right now and run to Gaia or call Tom. "No... It couldn't be" I murmured as I took the stairs to the top deck.

And sitting down, I couldn't hold myself back as I spotted a couple nestling the corner. I tried hard to maintain my posture.

"Keep it down back here! What's the matter with you?" A young, dark-haired man growled irritably turning in his seat ahead to face me. He had fierce green eyes and a strong angular jaw. His heavy hood and vest did nothing to cover the hard, torso beneath. A hand rose threateningly to my face but I couldn't care less as I broke into fiercer hysterics in my seat. I'd just realised something.

"I think... I've got an admirer" I giggled, more to myself than him. Dropping his fist, even he couldn't restrain his amusement.

The trip to the airport wasn't as bumpy as I'd thought it would be. The ride was smooth and long. I slept through most of it after I'd texted goodbye to Gaia. She'd given few- a lot of missed calls since then and it hurt me to be unable to answer them. I couldn't let her know exactly where I was. Loki would just as easily follow her and then the hunt would conclude in his favour.

Besides, even if I did answer, Gaia would kill me for my patronizing tone with her; like I could help that considering the situation.

I switched my phone to silent and tucked it deep into my bag. The vibrations were inaudible, just like I'd hoped. But, irritably, I still felt them seep through the seat.

"So you're going to the airport huh?" a voice chided from the seat before me. He was staring at the laptop in his lap but I realised a moment later that he was talking to me. Glad to have something to take my mind off things I sighed in reply.

"Uh... yeah" I answered softly

He nodded. "Where to?" he asked a few moments later

I didn't reply. "What's the time?" I asked, refusing to look at my phone.

"Look for yourself" he sniped and a moment later he sighed "Around 3am, I guess"

I huffed and reclined back, surprised that I still had just over 3 hours to go before I got anywhere near my destination

And we didn't talk till an hour later when the coach stopped for service and a break. I had to change over to another coach before I could go and get some food. Funnily enough, I ended up seated across from the tanned guy who I'd been talking to. We both had a window seat and we both had a clear reflection of the other on our windows. Dropping my jacket to signify that the seat was taken, I climbed back out.

He was grinning at me, taking a drag from a cigarette next to the coach's doors. I scowled as cloud of white smoke billowed from his nose when he noticed me.

"Great. I've got a stalker" he laughed "But in your case...I guess I'll make an exception"

I blushed slightly "... Yeaaaahhh... You're totally top on my hit list these days" I chided coldly

He dropped the cigarette and pulled out a packet of Extras. He ate one and offered the packet.

"Thanks" I muttered, making to walk away.

He feigned a heart attack with his hand on his chest and a mock-grimace of 'absolute' agony.

"Oh, the pain of rejection... from a girl...Oh, how shall I go on?" He gasped melodramatically, jogging backwards to my pace

Rolling my eyes, I popped a chewing gum into my mouth "Happy?" I asked and got a stunning smile back in reply. A little dazed I slowed down to stop in front of a cash machine. He leant against the wall, eyes averted and I couldn't help but notice the way his lips crooked upwards in that annoying smirk.

"Oh- I'm Niall by the way"

Tom Moore glared at the cup of coffee in his hand as if it'd just committed genocide. The phone in his hand kept ringing Vanessa's number and the more times it rang and fell into answer phone, the more he got mad.

Then again, perhaps he was over-reacting. But fact is Eva never just leaves her phone for long periods of time. Even if she did change her number, reason holds to think that he wouldn't get through to this number in the first place and that made him curious.

More curious than scared out of my mind?

Eva was the only connection to Gaia that he has, that he had. He hadn't called her in a few weeks, yes - he was sorry for that, and news had gotten through of an attempted homicide and house raid in New York. The recent attempted murder had been clarified as manslaughter of some stranger so it didn't matter to Tom but the house that had been smashed through and through had the address belonging to Eva. Why had she not called him yet? What has happened to her? Where is Gaia, what is she doing right now? All these and more questions kept ringing more irritatingly than the phone by his ear. He had half a mind to just throw it on the concrete and watch it smash into a thousand pieces but the thought that Eva would pick up, any moment, tore him away from that - irresistible image.

Yet the phone kept ringing...

"Hello, it's Eva!" the mechanical-answer-phone-voice-over-Eva laughed casually "I'm probably quite bus-" Tom hung up and sighed heavily. Should he call her once again? What would that make it... the 100th time so far? He decided to grit his teeth and wait. There should be a valid reason for her behaviour; he just needed the patience to wait the truth out.

_Yeah, like that's ever going to happen..._

_True _He shrugged _but either way – at least I know the last thing Loki would ever do was hurt her, Gaia couldn't be touched for as long as he knew that she mattered to Vanessa_

Tom sipped his coffee with a forced air of calmness. Nothing would have gone wrong. Eva will be fine. Gaia will be with her and they'll be working things out safely - together. Maybe they're just out and about and being overtly-cautious. What was he worrying about?

He frowned as his mission supervisor, Roger, beeped in a message into his phone. It was time to go already.

_If that's the case, why hadn't she told me anything?_

"So... the airport huh? You didn't tell me where to?"

"De ja vu" I murmured, handing the money over the counter at the food store.

"Hey, come on. Give me a break here; I'm just trying to be friendly" He laughed at my glum tone.

I stared at him for a long moment and realised, alarmed, that I was actually stalling for time. To be honest I didn't know where I was going to... let alone if I should tell this stranger anything about it.

_Though, Niall is quite a nice name..._

"Yes I'm off to the airport, and no, I don't know where I'm going... well, not yet anyway..." I answered finally, tucking away the change into my purse. I could almost see his surprised expression behind.

Predictably, he didn't say anything for a while. I heard him jog up.

"So... you're kind of a... run away then?" He frowned as I made my way back to the coach with a bag so full of food that Gaia would be proud of and a cup of chocolate-y cappuccino.

"Sort of" I nodded turning round to face him and I scowled "So many questions Niall!"

He smiled at the sound of his name.

_Darn..._

"Run away from...where?"

_Did he take my interest in his name as permission to nose through my life?_

"I don't even know you!" I exclaimed exasperatedly.

_But I'd like to..._

"Whoa!" He held up his hands "You weren't complaining a few moments ago"

_You have a point... What's your answer to this Vanessa?_

"Well, that was then and for the past few hours all you've done is ask me questions! What are you after? Why me? Can't you go and just like...-" I stared around the car park and my eyes fell on the coach driver "- like just ask the bus driver those questions then? I bet you anything he'd be more interesting!"

_I'm not serious..._

"Serious! I don't know what the problem is here, I mean it's up to you what you say and don't. I mean, Yeah..." He trailed off sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

_What. Stop looking at me like that._

"I do tend to ask a few questions but I mean no harm y'know?" He stated with defiance in his eyes

_Yeah, you do, buddy._

I stared right back, unwilling to let it die down and as if realising that, he sighed heavily.

"Jeez! What is your problem?" He laughed "Calm down, I'm not from some weird society like the C.I.A or anything... Who're you expecting? No harm in being friendly!"

_**My**__ problem? Have you heard yourself?_

"Well, maybe just for one second..." Suddenly, staring into those mesmerizing green eyes I lost my trail of thought.

I'd just lost the one awesome comeback ever...and he stared right back as if he knew that – he looked... pleased.

_You..._

I threw my hands in the air "Urrgh!" I cried.

I honestly did not know what to do! I saw Gaia's tearful expression in my eyes and Loki's laughter at causing her such pain through me. I could see it all now, with me gone Gaia couldn't keep fighting away Loki... he'd get her one day and it would be **entirely** my fault. When her dad gets back he'll find a dead daughter and me, free and loose...

_Hope could I cope?_

Tears threatened to fall as I quickly looked away "Can't you see that I'm just not in the mood?" I demanded, quite weakly. To emphasise and cover my momentary delusion, I stabbed my arm in the direction of him and the coach without realising that I'd had a half open cup of scalding hot cappuccino and an open paper bag full of food.

"OWW!" I heard myself scream before I'd quite registered the pain.

The cup's top slipped off and sprinkled some of the liquid onto my arm. In reflex, I yelped and shook my arm therefore emptying the rest of the hot liquid onto my leg and wrist. The guy, startled for a moment, watched as the food bag split and tumbled its contents onto the floor though I prayed he didn't see my face blotch red from the pain and most of all, anger.

"This. Is. Not. Happening..." I gasped, Niall's laughter echoing in my ears

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**A/N: This is just the beginning, guys! I totally hope you like this chapter so far... I havn't had any time whatsoever to weld this together -sigh- but I would really really like reviews and any awesome suggestions :) Help me out here! This is my first fic ever and I'm a little stuck! -aarrggh- Loves you loads for reading this!**


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